The Center Club was a popular social and business club adjacent to Segerstrom Center for the Arts that closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened. It was acquired by BNG Hospitality, which specializes in the ownership and management of private city, country and sports clubs throughout the United States.
In early 2024, BNG debuted The Park Club, billed as “a dynamic new private social and business club that sits at the intersection of business, culture, and the arts.”
According to Club Manager Tim Vels, BNG spent nearly $10 million on refurbishing the club, giving it a more modernized aesthetic feel that combines business with pleasure.
The Park Club blends an upscale yet comfortable ambiance with dynamic cuisine that is conducive to conducting everything from business meetings to special events. Members can reserve private meeting rooms and host clients for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The culinary program is headed by Executive Chef Daniel Hohng, who previously served as chef de cuisine at Asterid by Ray Garcia in Los Angeles and as a sous chef for Wolfgang Puck at Spago in Beverly Hills.
Monet is the fine dining component of the Park Club. Open Thursday through Saturday, members often dine here prior to taking in a show at Segerstrom Center.
“Chef Hohng does a quick prefix menu so you can have this amazing plate of food and pop over to the show,” said Vels. “And with the valet parking that’s included with membership, you could still park here and go to a show without popping in for a drink.”
The Park Club also has Palm Bar & Terrace, which offers a more relaxed, casual dining setting where breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered most weekdays.
According to Chef Hohng, “Everything has to be seasonal, because we are using farmers market products and organics. If the farmer’s market doesn’t have it, then we don’t have it. I think about what is the best right now around us.”
Chef Hohng’s menus are diverse. The lunch menu at Palm Bar & Terrace ranges from appetizers such as tuna tataki and cacio e pepe mac and cheese to a variety of salads, hand held dishes (the burger is a standout), and entrees. The dinner menu is similar but adds more main courses and large plates.
Ashley Patterson, CEO and founder of the ACE Agency in Costa Mesa, represents the membership-only club and is also a member. She told the Business Journal that she uses Park Club to host team meetings and lunches.
“We have a fabulous lunch and everyone loves it,” said Patterson. “It’s a different environment than the office. We’re all in the same room, and it’s a beautiful setting. It’s been a nice benefit. It’s a satellite amenity for us that’s been really helpful for our office culture.”
Mari Keiko Garner, director of membership, told the Business Journal during a separate visit that many of its 300 members use the club to conduct business. “I have members who bring clients here all day,” she said, pointing to one round table that she called the “the closer table.”
Vels said members range from entrepreneurs to C-suite executives to everything in between. “We really focus on the membership invitation. We have a sponsorship program where members need to sponsor other members, so we can really bring strong community here at the club.”
The Park Club has several membership levels that include reciprocal privileges at clubs around the country, no fee reservations for business functions, networking events and many other amenities.
The Park Club, 650 Town Center Drive, Garden Level, Costa Mesa, (949) 868-6511, ParkClubCA.com.
Executive Editor Nancy Luna contributed to this report.
